Freight-elevator.



J. A. BUTKUS.

. FREIGHT ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. l9l4v 1 163 391, Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

I 2 SHEETSSHEET I J. A. BUTKUS.

FREIGHT ELEVATOR APPLICATION FILED MAY 4. WM.

1,163fi91 Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

j? i mmwg H75} 7 Jmomeqa.

JOHN A. BUTKUS, OF BALTIIVIORE, MARYLAND.

FREIGHT-ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters ratent.

Application filed May t, 1914. Serial No. 836,368.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that ll, JOHN A. BU'rKUs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain improvements in Freight- Elevators, of which the following is a specification. p i

This invention relates'to certain improvements in what areknown as freight elevators, that is to say elevators in which a platform instead. of a passenger car is used; and it consists in means whereby a door having a closing spring attached thereto and leading to a floor of the building, if opened, remains open until the platform of the elevator has passed the door in an upward or a downward direction, when the door .is closed, but not held closed insuch manner as toprevent its reopening at any. time, as will hereinafter fully appear.

In the further description of the said invention which follows, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which Figure 1 is a face view of the improved apparatus, together witha part of the walls of the elevator'well, and a portion of the floor of the building; and Fig. 2 is aview of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrow in that figure. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the broken line in Fig.

1. Fig. 4: is an enlarged view of certain parts shown in 2, and Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged details of the apparatus and hereinafter described.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents the well opening, andQ, 2 the walls thereof.

3 is a part of a hinged door leading from the elevator well to a floor 4t of the building. The hinges which secure the door to the front wall of the well arenot shown. 5 is an angular plate shown as secured to the front and one of the side walls of the well, and 7 a shaft adapted to slide endwise in lugs a on theface of the plate.

10 is a linked hinge which unites the door 3 with the outer end of the shaft 7.

12 is a rockshaft supported at one 1 of its ends bythe angular plate 5,and at its other end by a bracketl3. -14t is a leaf spring 'fastened to the under side of the plate 5 with its free end situated between the pins b projectingfroin the horizontally moving bolt 15 which is adapted to slide'in the angular plate 5, and a bracket 0 extending therefrom. The function of the spring 1% is to yieldingly hold the projecting end of the bolt 15 in the path of the sliding shaft 7, and when so situated, serves asa stop for the said shaft, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and thereby prevent the open door 3 which ishinged to the shaft 7 as before stated, being closed.

17 is a small flat plate secured in anysuit able manner to the shaft 12, and it rests on the leaf spring 14 for a purpose hereinafter described; 1 to 20 is the movable platform of theeleva- 2 3 is an arm loose on the shaft 12, with its hub portion cut away to receive av pin 03- i if Patented Dec. "2, 1915. I

which projects from the shaft, as best shown i in Figs. 2 and 5.

Qtisa spring coiled about the shaft 12 with one of its ends attached to the arm23 and its other end fastened to the shaft -B this construction the arm is held tightly in contact with the pin d which preventsits movement independently of the shaft in one direction but admits of a limited movement independently of the shaft in a contrary .direction, for a purpose hereinafter de.

scribed. The free end of the arm 23 is provided with a roller 26. v i In order that the arm 23 may be slightly compressible, endwise, for a purposehereinafter explained, it is constructed in three principal parts viz. a bar a, a tubular. shell f and a coiledspring g as shown in Fig. 5. The spring 9, at one of its ends bears against the bar 6 and at its other end against a pin 7t, and the shell is slotted, and the bar provided with a pin which allows of the endwise contraction of the arm while preventing rotative movement of the shell. An upward movement of the arm 23 causes an extension of the spring j.

Tight on the shaft 12 and leading rear ward in a horizontal direction, is a bar 27 to the end of which is. jointed the bent rod 30 which extends downward, and, in ciri cumstances hereinafter stated, serves to comniunlcate a partial rotary movement to the shaft 12 through the agency of mechanism now to be described. I

23 is an arm in general construction simiar to the arm 23, pivoted at '5 to a bracket 32 which is fast to the elevator wall, andat,

is a sheave 29 which rests uponthe bent portion of the rod-'30, as best shown in Fig.

'3. A coiled spring 35 retains the arm 23 arms 23 and 23 the door 3 open, and the yieldingly in a horizontal position.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 7, it will beunderstood that when the arm 23 is yieldingly held in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 3,'and the bolt 15 projected outward its end serves as a stop for the shaft 7, and prevents'the closing of the door 3, but should the said arm be raised, the plate 1'7 assumes an oblique position as shown in Fig. 7' and'its edge forcesthe leaf spring inward carrying with it the bolt 15, and

platform to be moving upward, the contact of the platform with the roller 26 will cause the'arm 23- to rise which effects apartial rotation of the" shaft 12. In the rotation of the said shaft, the plate 17 will be turned, and

upon its reaching the proper degree of angularity the depression ofthe spring 14: will cause the withdrawal of the bolt 15 from con tact with the shaft 7 and the door 3 will be automatically closed; After the platform has passed the 23 that device will'assume its original position; and in view of the slotted construction of its hubportion, a downward'movement of the platformmerely presses the arm downward, without causing any operation of the bolt 15. But should the "platform occupying its originalposition between the arms 23 and 23 be lowered instead of elevated, the arm 23 will be downwardly tilted, and due to its sheave 29 resting upon thebent end of the rod 30 which is connected to the bar 27 the shaft 12 will be partially rotated but in a direction contrary to that taken in the former case, and the stop bolt 15 being withdrawn from contact with the end of the shaft 7 the door will be closed in the manner before described.

From the above description of the operation of the invention it will be understood that the arm 23 is only operative to effect any useful result, upon the elevation of the platform, and the arm 23 in the downward movement of the same; and that the appliances used to perform the operations described do notprevent the opening of the door 3 at any time, but when the door is opened'it cannot be closed except automatically, in the manner described, or by the manipulation of the arms 23 and 23 by hand by a person standing on the platform, or upon the floor.

' The object in making the arms 23 and 23 compressible endwise as described, is to prevent their subjection to injurious strain by the platform when the same strikes their rollers from either direction; and also to obviate very niceadjustnient of the said arms with respect to the edge of the platform.

I claim as my invention v r 1. In an elevator, the well thereof pro vided with a springclosing door, a vertically moving elevator platform within the well, a plate secured within thewell, a slidingshaft supported by the plate which is linked to the 30 door and adapted when extended outwardto hold the door open, and a stop for the sliding shaft, combinedwith appliances which receive their movement from the platform, to render the stop inoperative, and thereby admit of the automatic closing of the door. 2; In an elevator, the well thereof providedwith a hinged door leading therefrom, a supplemental hinge on the door, a sliding shaft within the well to which the supple 9o mental hinge is pivoted, stop mechanisln for the sliding shaft to retain the door in an open condition, and a vertically moving platform within the well, combined with devices actuated by the platform when moving in-an upward or a downward direction adapted to render the said stop mechanism inoperative and thereby admit of the closing ofthe, door. 3; In an elevator, the well thereof having a door provided with a closing spring, a sup.- 100 plemental hinge on the door, a sliding shaft connected to the supplemental hinge which has a motion in common with the door in the opening and closing of the same, anda stop for the sliding shaft which prevents the clos- 105 ing of the door, combined with devices actuated by the platform in its upward or downward movement to render the said stop inoperative and thereby admit of the automatic closing of the door. V 1 4. In an elevator, the well thereof provided with a spring backed door leading therefrom, a vertically moving platform, in the well, a fixed plate situated in the well, a sliding shaft journaled in the plate,a sup- 115 plemental hinge which unites the door with the sliding shaft, a spring-held bolt adapted to engage with, and to be disengaged from the said shaft and which when in the former position, serves as a lock for the OpQIirdOOI', 12o combined with pivoted arms which extend into the path of the moving platform, and appliances which derive their movement from the said arms, to cooperate withthe locking mechanism to render the same inop- 125 erative and thereby allow the door to automatically close.

V ;5. In an elevator, the fwell thereof pro"- vided with a spring-backed door leading therefrom, a vertically moving platformqin 13o the well, a fixed plate situated in the well, the moving platform, and appliances which 10 a sliding shaft journaled in the plate, a supderive their movement from the said arms plemental hinge which unites the door with and cooperate with the locking mechanism the sliding shaft, a spring-held bolt adapted to render the same inoperative and allow the 5 to engage with, and to he disengaged from door to automatically close.

the said shaft which bolt when in the former JOHN A. BUTKUS. position serves as a lock for the open door, Witnesses:

combined with pivoted arms in different ver- GUSTAV BLUMBERG,

tioal position which extend into the path of JULIA B. ROBINSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O." 

